A blog for Literature and Culture of the Middles Ages (ENGL:3226:0001)

Monday, October 27, 2014

Medieval Daddy Issues

Medieval society established parental relationships
(specifically father-child relationships) that were built around a difference
in positions within the family. The father was the head of the household and
held ultimate authority. However, this did not mean that affectionate
father-child relationships were not possible.

The Holy Family at Work

A recent study on parental
instincts looked into the common assumption that women are hardwired to be
mothers.

“The research implies that the neural underpinnings of the
so-called maternal instinct aren't unique to women, or activated solely by
hormones, but can be developed by anyone who chooses to be a parent.”

Is this to say
that medieval fathers were the primary caregivers for their children and took
on the role of the affectionate parent? Most likely not. Socio-economic roles
in the middle ages were different than they are now. It was ‘normal’ for the
mothers to take care of the children. However, some medieval texts hint at a
relationship between father and child in which the father is present and
loving.

In Chaucer’s Man
of Law’s Tale, Constance sends news to King Alla that she has given birth to a
son. Even though King Alla’s mother intercepts and changes the message, King
Alla is still willing to accept the child. Similarly, in the King of Tars, the
Sultan appears to be emotionally connected to the child. Although the child is
a blob, has no face, and does not move, the Sultan and the child’s mother are
certain that it is alive. Furthermore, they are convinced that the blob can be
saved and hold hope for their child.

The King of TarsThe role that men played in the lives of their
children is not very prevalent in medieval texts. However, our idea of what it
meant to be a father, especially a medieval father, has been shaped by
centuries of social constructs. Modern science has begun to show that gendered
parental roles may be socially constructed, but everyone is capable of
displaying the ‘maternal instincts.’